Pure As Any Other
by Kuramanamanama
Summary: Because, in the end, it doesn't matter HOW you start loving someone. What matters is you cultivate that love the more time you spend together. RussiaCanada or IvanMatthew with hints of SwedenFinland, EnglandAmerica, and SpainRomano.


I fell in love with this pairing recently. I was thinking about Matthew not getting any love and not liking him with Francis (his inability to commit/not rape everything that moves would make me hate myself for shipping him with Matthew), when Russia popped into my head. I used to ship RussiaxChina, but only because they're neighbors. Now I've decided China is more interesting with Korea and Ivan and Mattie are just too cute together! Like Beauty and the Beast! Only it's Innocent Uke and the Psychopathic Seme!

Warning: The following drabble includes copious amounts of fluff! Contact your doctor if you experience indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting, internal bleeding, heart failure, herpes, superherpes, or even death, because the following fluff may not be right for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. If I did, the characters would be starting to get together at this point and making babies....BABIES! YAY!

"I love you, Matvey," the Russian sighed and nuzzled his face into a head full of blond hair. He kissed the top of his head and gave another comfortable exhale of breath before adding, "So much. I love you so, so much..."

Matthew remained quiet, as he usually did. He was never chatty late at night, being far too tired and happy enough to just lay on the couch with Ivan quietly, his head resting on the other man's chest as he stroked his hair and occasionally whispered things to him while the fire crackled in front of them. Ivan liked the way Matthew smiled softly each time he told him he loved him. It was an adorable little smile that he showed only to him and Ivan treasured that fact.

However, tonight Matthew was not smiling. He hadn't fallen asleep, Ivan was sure, as he was also apt to do. All of a sudden he felt rather stiff against him, not relaxed like he usually was. Ivan pulled back and frowned, troubled by this uncharacteristic behavior. The Canadian hadn't been tense around Ivan since the first month of their relationship, back when they weren't quite sure what they were yet.

Of course, back then Matthew was merely a stepping stone on Ivan's path to have everyone become one with Russia. Matthew, who looked so very lonely and sad due to normally being forgotten, became his first target after he decided it would be easy to get a person like him to trust him completely. Ivan had only started to pay attention to Matthew so that he would become one with him. He never expected to fall in love with the shy Canadian, but he did.

Now, of course, Matthew was one with Russia. He lived with him and had even agreed to marry him officially this winter.

That bothered Matthew. He loved Ivan. He knew he did. But he often wondered if the violet-eyed man truly loved him or if he was still just playing the part and this whole thing was just an act. After all, he knew his brother, Alfred, still thought that. His overprotective big brother had even gone so far as to have Alaska keep a constant watch on them, separating Russia from Canada. Any movement to meet each other was immediately reported to Alfred. The rest of the countries, while more relaxed about the whole thing, were also rather skeptical.

But Ivan had promised he would only marry Matthew and would stop trying to have everyone else join his house. It was only fair. Besides, the other countries all had their own respectable partners and love interests. Even Alfred had finally given in and married Arthur, though the two still bickered constantly.

Children were beginning to come into the picture as well. He knew for a fact that Finland was pregnant with Sweden's child (how could he not, when Peter ran around telling anyone who would listen about how he was going to have a baby brother or sister to play with?) and Spain was bugging Romano about having one with him. He knew more and more countries were considering having a baby of their own. Matthew himself fancied having one someday. Allowing Ivan to split up these new families would be absolutely unforgivable.

"Do you really?" he finally whispered to his fiance. "Do you really love me, Ivan?"

"Matvey," the Russian detangled himself from him so that he could look Matthew properly in the eyes. "What is this about? How can you even question me?"

Matthew's face turned a tinge pink and he looked down shyly at his hands, which Ivan noticed and immediately grabbed to hold in his larger hands. "I just...I worry...About...Uhm...I-ivan?"

"Da?"

He took a deep breath. "You aren't just playing with me and using me, right? This is for real? I'm not going to marry you and then suddenly everything changes, right? You're not going to turn on me and say now I'm one with Russia, just like everyone else will become? This isn't some plan?"

"Matvey...How could you even think that?" Ivan looked truly hurt, and Matthew instantly felt guilty. "Of course it isn't. I love you, Matvey. I know you worry because that's how it was in the beginning, but Matvey...Have I ever given you any other reason to doubt? Have I ever snuck around or insinuated since the start that those are my true intentions? Matvey, you are my world. The only true warmth I have is when I'm with you. My winters have seemed less and less harsh each year that I've been with you. If anyone should be concerned, it's me, da?"

"You?" he blinked his baby blues in disbelief.

"Da. Besides the fact that you're amazingly beautiful and could have anyone you want, I have my own little insecurity."

He blushed furiously, and normally would have denied such a claim, but the part about Ivan being insecure peaked his curiosity. "How can you possibly be insecure?"

"I often wonder if it hadn't been me who paid you attention you would have fallen for another. What I mean is...Is that if anyone loved you, you would love them back. Anyone, as long as they paid you attention. If England or Spain had wanted you just as much as I did...If they had paid you attention like me, would you still have picked me? Or would you have picked them?"

Matthew had to bite back a bitter laugh. For such an intelligent man, Ivan could be really quite stupid sometimes. "Ivan, I was never totally forgotten, you know. You weren't the only one that paid me attention."

Ivan frowned. "I would have remembered any rivals. My pipe would carry their bloodstains."

Others would have laughed, but Matthew knew he was totally serious. He chose to ignore that, however, and continued. "France and Cuba never forgot about me. And England and America started to notice me about the same time you did. I was never alone. I was lonely, but never alone. I had choices. I could have easily decided to start dating either France or Cuba over you. It's no secret they both were attracted to me. Even I knew that. But then you came along and...Well, I'm glad I didn't rush into things with either of them. Then I might not have been able to be with you. Ivan, you may have caught me by surprise. But you were always _my _first choice. Even before. I just never thought someone like you...Would be interested in someone like me...I always told myself I wasn't your type..."

"Beautiful isn't my type? Smart? Kind? Adorable? _Perfect?_ That isn't my type?"

Matthew blushed once again. "I-I'm not--!"

"You are. Don't even try to say you aren't."

There it was. That smile of Matthew's that made the Russian melt.

"I'm sorry, Ivan," Matthew wrapped his arms around him and leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the lips before making himself comfortable in his lap once more.

Ivan scooped him up into his arms and stood from the couch, making the blond giggle and make a grab for his neck to steady himself. "You owe me. We will show each other physically how much we love one another, da?"

Matthew continued to laugh as pink painted itself across the bridge of his nose. "Da!"

Ivan chuckled at that as he walked down the hall.

So maybe their relationship had a dysfunctional start. What else could anyone expect from the Russian? All that mattered was what they felt now.

"I love you, Ivan."

"And I love you, Matvey. Don't ever think I don't."

Love, as pure and real as any other.


End file.
